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15

Uploaded by

Калоян Пенчев
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon so counterintuitive that it prompted Albert

Einstein to describe it as “spooky action at a distance.” It occurs when two or


more particles become correlated in such a way that the state of one particle
instantly influences the state of the other(s), regardless of the distance
separating them. This defies classical intuition, which insists that information
cannot travel faster than the speed of light. Yet, quantum mechanics suggests that
entangled particles share a joint wave function that only “collapses” upon
measurement, linking their outcomes in mysterious ways.

Entanglement begins when particles interact in a specific manner, such as during


certain particle collisions or decay processes, creating a combined quantum state
that cannot be factored into independent states for each particle. Once entangled,
measuring a property (like spin or polarization) of one particle instantaneously
determines the corresponding property of the other, even if they are light-years
apart. This correlation holds true for every measurement, but it does not allow for
faster-than-light communication because no signal or usable information travels
between the particles; it is the act of measurement itself that manifests the
entangled outcome.

Over the decades, physicists have performed numerous experiments to test the
reality of entanglement. In 1964, John Bell proposed an inequality—now known as
Bell’s inequality—to distinguish between local hidden variable theories and genuine
quantum entanglement. Experimental results from the 1970s onward have repeatedly
violated Bell’s inequality, providing strong evidence that quantum entanglement is
real and cannot be explained by any local hidden variable theory. These findings
have profound implications for our understanding of the fundamental nature of
reality.

Quantum entanglement is not merely a theoretical curiosity. It lies at the heart of


emerging technologies like quantum computing and quantum cryptography. Quantum
computers use qubits—quantum bits that can exist in superpositions and become
entangled—to perform computations exponentially faster than classical computers for
certain tasks. Meanwhile, quantum cryptography protocols, such as Quantum Key
Distribution (QKD), exploit entanglement to ensure secure communication. Any
attempt to eavesdrop on an entangled system disturbs the quantum state, alerting
legitimate users to a breach in security.

Today, researchers continue to explore entanglement in more complex systems and


over greater distances. Satellites have demonstrated entanglement-based
communication between ground stations hundreds of kilometers apart, opening the
door for a future global “quantum internet.” This network could enable highly
secure data transfer and facilitate collaborative quantum computing on a massive
scale. While many questions remain about the nature of entanglement and how it
might unify quantum mechanics with gravity, one thing is certain: quantum
entanglement’s “spooky action” is a cornerstone of modern physics and continues to
push the boundaries of our understanding of the universe.

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